The covering of outdoor and indoor areas, as well as building facades, with light transmitting materials is well known, and polymer, typically polycarbonate sheeting or panels for this purpose, are in common use. A range of materials and configurations of supporting members are used to span the area or facade required to be covered. Conventional systems rely on framing, typically, in the case of roof structures, comprising sloping rafters with regular arrays of transverse purlins, the latter providing both stabilising elements and support for the polymer sheeting.
To span relatively large areas, such as sporting venues for example, requires large and heavy structural timber or steel trusses, adding considerably to the cost of the roof structure.
The use of timber or steel trusses with the added array of purlins is often undesirable from an aesthetic point of view, and in some environments, such as indoor swimming pools for example, these structural elements can be subject to corrosion and deterioration.
It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages.
Notes
The term “comprising” (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of “having” or “including”, and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”.
The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any information discussed therein is citable prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country.
The term “fish plate” as used in this specification indicates a plate for interconnecting two structural elements, either through interlocking elements or by means of fasteners.